Dr. Christine Cui 2018-Sep-20

The best timing for acupuncture would be now.  Acupuncture may be beneficial for both you and the unborn baby.  Acupuncture may help develop good egg quality as well as reduce your stress level and increase blood flow in the pelvic region. Hence, it may thicken the lining of the uterus.

Generally speaking the best timing for acupuncture is as follow:

• The follicular phase: meaning from Day 1 of menstruation until the ends of ovulation. The average length of the follicular phase is 16 days. However, depending on your cycle it can last up to 27 days.
• The day before, day of or the day after ovulation (as indicated by your LH surge)
• During implantation time (5 – 10 days after ovulation).

IVF Acupuncture

Acupuncture is strongly recommended for those who will undertake IVF Treatment. As acupuncture can increase the chance of conception by 65%, ideally you would need to do acupuncture 6 to 8 weeks prior to the commencement of IVF. The following recommended guide from Dr Christine Cui to help you get a rough idea on when to do your acupuncture:

• Prior to Starting your IVF Cycle (Once a week)
• During the stimulation phase
• Acupuncture before and after egg collection
• One day prior/on the day and after the Embryo Transfer (within 24 hr)
• Once or twice a week until the blood test result confirms
• Once a week during the 1st trimester of pregnancy

However, from the clinical practice experience point of view, it is better if you can do acupuncture within 24 hours before or after embryo transfer. This means that there will be fewer procedures to take and less stress for the mother to be.

Herbal Medicine and Sperm Quality

The egg needs 4 to 5 months to mature, therefore it is recommended to take Chinese herbal medicine in conjunction with the acupuncture. This may improve the condition of your body prior to conception and bring nutrients to your body so that you can have a good quality of eggs. Women who take supplements with antioxidants and vitamins will have embryos with less fragmentation.

According to research, 40 to 50% of infertility cases were related to men, therefore it is very important for men to have acupuncture as well as their female partner. As acupuncture may improve not only the semen volume but also sperm count, motility and morphology. Hence, both parties have to do acupuncture at the same time in order to increase the chance of being pregnant.